


we're stars, darling, stuck in each other's orbit

by angstlairde



Category: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst and Feels, Epilogue, Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, F/M, Gen, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Let Bail Organa RestTM, Rare Pairings, Serious Injuries, Star Wars politics, unrealistic healing time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-31
Updated: 2018-02-16
Packaged: 2019-03-11 23:42:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13535043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angstlairde/pseuds/angstlairde
Summary: Fives lost his footing as he climbed through the window the rest of the way, and fell to the floor with a painful thump, unfortunately smearing blood on Rabé’s once pristine walls. Fives groaned, and knew he’d have to move, but he really didn’t want to.Rabé evidently wasn’t home, or she would have come to investigate by now.Yeah, he definitely wasn’t moving. His armor was digging into his skin. He should take it off. Moving sluggishly, he managed to take off the armor on his arms and chest. Fives let his head thump against the wall, and a piece of armor clattered to the floor.Gods, what a mess.He needed to close his eyes, just for a moment, so he could be ready when  Rabé got back. Just for a moment.....Prompt: Kissing so desperately that their whole body curves into the other person’s





	1. chapter i

**Author's Note:**

  * For [evaceratops](https://archiveofourown.org/users/evaceratops/gifts).



> bap baDAAAA!!!! here it is, the long awaited (at least i assume it was awaited) arcmaiden angsty fic that sounds really evil  
> *rubs hands together*

_Gotta get to Rabé, gotta get to Rabé, gotta get to Rabé._

Over and over, Fives pushed himself to keep going with those words.

_Gotta get to Rabé._

She was the only one he could trust, really trust. That was something he knew in his heart. He’d trusted Skywalker and Rex, thought he could trust them - but he couldn’t. They’d tried to kill him.

And, well, maybe they had, considering the hole in his abdomen, and all the blood loss.

 _Gotta get to Rabé._  

She could help him. She could help all of them, his brothers, the Jedi, the civilians caught in the cross-fire. He clutched the chip in his hand, and ducked into an alleyway behind the handmaidens’ apartment building. Thankfully, Rabé’s apartment wasn’t as high up as say, the Senator’s, but in his condition, he couldn’t climb it. 

There was a parked speeder nearby, which Fives could use to fly up to Rabé’s level and climb in her ‘fresher window. With immense difficulty, Fives got halfway through the window, then cut the engines of the speeder with his foot. He was glad he didn’t get any blood on the speeder; it’d be a pain to clean- no, it’d give him away, what was he thinking?

He lost his footing as he climbed through the window the rest of the way, and fell to the floor with a painful thump, unfortunately smearing blood on Rabé’s once pristine walls. Fives groaned, and knew he’d have to move, but he  _really_ didn’t want to.

Rabé evidently wasn’t home, or she would have come to investigate by now.

Yeah, he definitely wasn’t moving. His armor was digging into his skin. He should take it off. Moving sluggishly, he managed to take off the armor on his arms and chest. Fives let his head thump against the wall, and a piece of armor clattered to the floor.

Gods, what a mess.

He needed to close his eyes, just for a moment, so he could be ready when  Rabé got back. Just for a moment.

 

....

 

“Oh my, gods, Fives!”

Fives jerked away, jumpstarting into fight mode, and immediately groaned, regretting it. Rabé was kneeling over him. Her hands were bloody. He frowned, confused.

“Are you okay?” he rasped, and Rabé stared at him.

“Why would you -” she cut herself off when she followed his line of sight to her hands. Her look softened. “Fives... Fives, this is your blood.” She cupped his face in her hands. “My love... Fives... what happened?” she asked, voice a whisper, and it all came jolting back to him.

Rabé was in danger, why the  _ever-living-hell_  did he think coming here was a good idea, this was all going to go to bantha shit.

“Fives! Fives, look at me,” Rabé said softly, shakily, like she was trying to keep it together. Wearily, Fives met her eyes. “What happened?”

Fives gulped, trying to work moisture back into his dry mouth, and reached up to touch Rabé’s chin, leaving bloody fingerprints on her skin.

“There’s a conspiracy,” he began, gasping for breath. Gods, he hurt so bad. “Against the Jedi, using the Clones, and the Chancellor - and Tup was killed - the chip!”

“Fives, you’re not making any sense, what’s gong on?”

It suddenly hits Fives that Rabé had been wrapping his side while he spoke. He’d lost to much blood, he couldn’t tell her what she needed to know. He gulped another breath, and caught her hand. Okay, time for round two.

“The Kaminoans put a chip inside all the - the clones. And when they’re activated, they’ll, they’ll kill the Jedi. I took mine out,” Fives said, and held up the chip in his hand, and Rabé pocketed it. “I won’t. The, the Chancellor knows. I tried to tell him, but he, uh, made it look like I was trying to kill him. I tried to tell Skywalker, I tried to tell Rex, but they - they didn’t believe me, I - Fox shot me. I had to tell you, you’ll believe me, I - you believe me?” 

He sounds so scared, so afraid when he asks, Rabé lets out a choked gasp. He thought he had to ask...?

“Fives,” she gasped. “Fives, of course. Of course I believe you, why wouldn’t I?” She pressed her forehead to his, squeezed her eyes shut, and willed him to believe her. She didn’t realize she was crying, until Fives’ thumbs were shaky on her cheeks, wiping tears away carefully.

“Rabé... you have to take this to the Senator,” he said, curling his fingers into the hair at the nape of her neck. “She’ll believe it. She’ll believe it,” he said again, like he was trying to convince himself, and let his head rest against the wall. “You have to  _go_.”

Fives closed his eyes, waiting for her to leave, but... he cracked his eyes open, and she’s still kneeling in front of him, tears leaking out of her eyes.

“Rabé, you have to go. Go.”

She shook her head.

“I can’t leave you,” she whispered. “I love you.”

It’s not the first them they’ve said that, but the way she says it now sounds too much like goodbye.

“I won’t die, Rabé,” Fives said. “I won’t. I love you. Go.”

Rabé pulled herself away, finally, pressing the back of her hand to her mouth.

“I love you,” she said.  _I love you_ , she mouthed, and left.

 

....

 

Honestly, Sabé this close to being unsurprised when she got a call from Rabé saying that Fives was at her apartment, needed medical attention immediately, but couldn’t be sent to a hospital. Those two... Sabé shook her head, drawing Eirtaé’s attention, from where she was wrapping Fives’ side.

“You’re as unshocked as I. I’m shocked,” Eirtaé commented, and Sabé shook her head again.

“Not about Fives, no. About the conspiracy? A little more so.” Sabé trailed off. “I can’t believe something like that happened under our noses. We’re supposed to keep things like this from happening!”

Eirtaé sighed lightly.

“We’re only three handmaidens, Sabé. We can’t prevent things like this from happening in the entire galaxy.That’s not our job.”

Sabé shook her head again, but didn’t speak. Fives made a quiet noise, but stayed out. He’d live.

“Do you think Padmé can do it?”

 Eirtaé huffed.

“Darling, Padmé can accomplish anything she puts her mind too. They’ll believe her. The Chancellor will be thrown out, and Padmé will be a hero.” The blonde shifts in her seat. “There shouldn’t be any fallout, if the general public doesn’t learn why. That wouldn’t end well for either the clones or the public. Padmé can handle it, though. You and I both know she can.”

“Yes.”

Fives jerked awake on the couch, looking wild for a moment, before he realized where he was. He didn’t relax for very long, though, and his eyebrows shot up.

“Where’s Rabé?” he demanded. “Is she safe? Is she alright?”

“She’s fine,” Sabé reassured him. “She’s with Padmé, who is with Skywalker and Kenobi. They’re both safe.”

Fives relaxed ever-so-slightly.

“The clones? The Chancellor?”

“We haven’t heard anything yet.”

Fives nodded, but he didn’t look satisfied.

Silence fell over the trio, as though they were waiting for someone.

Sabé’s comlink chirped, making Fives jump, Eirtaé twitch, which Fives found shocking, and Sabé fumbled with the device to read the message. She looked instantly relieved.

“It’s Rabé! She says we need to go to the Senate building, they want you to speak, Fives!” 

Both handmaidens look at him expectantly, and Fives squares his shoulders.

“What are we waiting for? I can walk.”

They share a glance like he passed a test.

 

....

 

Fives walked as quickly as he could, wincing with almost every step, but taking it like a soldier. He kept his head down, unsure of how he was going to be treated by, well, anyone, and he almost couldn’t wait to see Skywalker and Rex’s expression when the realized he was right. Maybe he shouldn’t, but... well, he didn’t really care. 

They quickly reached the the Senator’s office, where she could give him some tips, which Fives would be grateful for, and as Sabé keyed in the code, Fives caught a glimpse of Rabé pacing the floor anxiously. The doors sliding open alerted her to their presence, and she looked up, eyes widening. The other two handmaiden slipped inside past Fives, who was still standing still. He mouthed her name, and then jolted into action, surging forward the same time Rabé did.

They collided, Fives leaning to press his mouth against Rabé’s, as she threw her arms around his neck. He pressed his hands into her back, wanting her closer, and she curved against him. He winced when she pressed particularly hard against him, and she jumped away with a gasp.

“Oh my, gods, I’m so sorry, I completely forgot, are you sure you can speak?” she asked, rapid-fire, slapping her hands over her mouth.

Fives laughed lightly, and took her hands in his own.

“I’ll be fine, I - well, I was going to say I’ve had worse, but that’d be a lie,” he said, aiming for a smile. Surprisingly, it worked.

“Still,” Rabé said, slipping around to stand at his side and wrap an arm around his waist. “You’ll be careful?”

“Careful? That would is not in an ARC trooper, or member of the 501st’s vocabulary,” Fives said with a smirk, but quickly sobered. “Of course. We’re gonna bring that bastard done.”

Rabé gave a sly smile.

“I think that damage has mostly been done. You get to strike the killing blow.”

Fives grinned.

“And afterward, we are going out for dinner in celebration.”

Rabé smiled, and leaned up to kiss his cheek.

“That sounds wonderful.”


	2. chapter ii

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TA DAAAA!!  
> chapter 2!!

"ORDER! THERE WILL BE _ORDER!_ "

But despite Mas Amedda's best efforts, order was about several thousand light years away from senate chamber. Fives was not comfortable at all in this kind of invironment - _chaos, havoc, confusion_  - without a blaster at his side, especially with the psychotic chancellor screaming for death, being restrained by several Jedi, including Kenobi.

Rabé stood close to his side, hadn't left it since he arrived at the Senator's office. His side was burning. Skywalker hadn't met his eyes the entire time, apologizing to a smear on Fives' grimy armor, and Rex was obviously feeling like he let a brother down. Fox was nowhere to be seen, but Fives didn't blame him.

Speaking again was something he did not want to do until the truth serum administered by a medical droid wore off. He glanced at the chrono on the pod. Fives wanted to groan.

Rabé tapped the back of his hand with her fingers.

"You need to sit down," she said under her breath. "You're shaking."

Fives clenched his fist. He was shaking, bad, but it wouldn't do to be seen swaying on his feet. Which he was. It was common knowledge now, at least among senators, that he had been shot. But he was a soldier, he didn't need to -

"Sit down!" Rabé commanded, concerned, and nudged him, which sent him plopping down hard. Fives hissed through his teeth, and shifted, slowly, easing in the seat. There was no way in hell he would ever get comfortable, not in these seats.

Padmé  whispered something to Sabé, who bent her head to Rabé, who in turn touched Fives' shoulder and whispered,

"She said we can go wait in her office. You need rest."

Fices opened his mouth to argue, but Rabé shot him a look at kept going.

"And she said it was an order."

"I don't take orders from her," Fives argued, crinkling his nose in confusion as she pulled him up. He looked back at the Senator as Rabé led him out with an arm around his waist. "I don't."

"Whatever helps you sleep, my love," she told him with a fond, exasperated tone, and her thumb skittered across his uninjured ribs.

Slowly - a little woozily, in Fives' case - they made their way down the hall, back to Padmé's offices. He caught a glimpse of himself in the shiny chrome doors, and thought he looked... very pale. Probably the blood loss kicking in again. He figured he had about, oh, three minutes until he passed out.

“Rabs,” he said, as she left him on a couch by the window to get... something.  Rabé turned to face him, and she was holding a pitcher of water and two cups.

“Yes?”

“I think I’m gonna pass out soon,” he informed her, and her eyebrows shot up.

“How do you know?” she asked, but she wasn’t arguing, probably because he looked like he was about to pass out. Fives shrugged.

“Just do. I think it’s a trooper thing.”

He held out a hand greedily as she poured him water, suddenly parched, and chugged the glass down. She refilled it when he was down, and he repeated the motions, chugging it down.

“You’re probably dehydrated,” she murmured when he was done, curling next to him on his good side. Fives rested his head on the back of the couch and nodded, closing his eyes.

“Probably,” he agreed, and promptly blacked out.

* * *

“E _NOUGH!_ ”

The senate chamber quieted immediately, and looked to the speaker. Bail Organa stood tall, arms crossed, with a very disgruntled expression on his face. It had been a vaping long day, and now it looked like it was going to be a long night too. He’d had just been settling in for the night when he got the call about the emergency session. Now, he’d be surprised if he got any sleep. Sleep deprived as he was - and no doubt Padmé, the handmaidens and that poor clone were feeling the same or worse as he - Bail had no patience for chaotic senators. They had to get their heads back.

“Finding out the true character of Chancellor Palpatine is a shock to us all, but we must keep out heads.”

Murmurs of agreement ran around the room, and he saw Padmé whispering something to Skywalker.

“As unfortunate as the circumstances are, there is still a war on, a war, for all intents and purposes, to bring about the destruction of the Republic and the Jedi. As such, we must assume the worst of Vice Chancellor Amedda.”

The Chagrian looked alarmed, and shouts of protest began again, until Mon’s pod ejected into the rotunda.

“Senator Organa is right,” she called, her delicate voice far louder than one would ever assume from the slight woman. “Vice Chancellor Amedda has worked at the right hand of Palpatine. We do not know what he knows, or knew. He must be put in holding until questioning.”

Bail must admit, he was a little surprised, though in agreement with her. Who knows what Amedda knows. The majority seemed to be in agreement, because four senate guards escorted the protesting Chagrian away. 

Back to business.

“We are still at war, my fellow senators!” Bail began again. Maybe this time he could get a few more sentences in before the senators exploded with insult and indignation. Knowing what he was about to say, probably not. “But who’s war are we fighting? And why is it so wrong for some planets and civilizations to want to leave the Republic? I move to call for the writing of a peace treaty with the Separatist senate!”

He had to raise his voice at the end to be heard over the shouting of affronted senators. He wasn’t even sure anyone heard him, when,

“I second the motion!” came loud and clear from Padmé Amidala.

And the peace talks began.

* * *

Fives awoke groggily. Rabé, Eirtaé, and Sabé were huddled together by the window talking in excited whispers. He pushed himself up, wincing as his side burned with the motion.

“What’s going on?” Fives asked, still hoarse from just waking. Dawn was beginning to break on the horizon.

The three handmaidens turned at almost the same time to face him, and Rabé broke out in the brightest,  most blinding smile Fives had ever seen. She rushed over to him as she stands and hugged him. When she pulled back, she held Fives’ face in her hands, looking at him like he was a hero, or something.

“The war is ending, Fives!” she said in an ecstatic whisper, like she could barely believe the words coming out of her mouth. Rabé leaned up and pressed a quick kiss to his mouth. “You started the end of the war.”

Fives’ mouth dropped open in shock.

“You might want to shut your mouth, Fives. You’ll catch sand flies,” Eirtaé commented with a smirk, and the clone trooper flailed for a second before sputtering out a  _What?_

Rabé giggled, a happy, bright little sound the made Fives’ chest squeeze, and she bounced on her toes, grabbing her hands in his.

“It was because of you! If you hadn’t found out about the chip, then nobody would have known about Palpatine, and the war would have gone on! They’re going to elect a new chancellor today, after they adjourn and take a break! And they’re already putting together a delegation to go to Mandalore, who’s going to host the peace talks as a neutral party! And the Jedi are investigating a lot of senators, and we’ve already arrested seven people!”

Fives sat back down, hard, still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that the  _war was ending_ , and there was _talk of peace_ , and the  _corrupt were being arrested_ , and his  _brothers were saved_ , and  _holy krething kriff!_

He looked to Eirtaé and Sabé, still standing by the window, for confirmation, that this wasn’t a kriffing amazing dream, and he’d wake up on the front, alone, aching, and cold.

But his side was definitely injured, and Rabé was definitely with him, and this -  _holy hells_ , this was happening.

Fives grinned, looked at Rabé who was watching him with a smile, looked at the two handmaidens, Eirtaé watching him with a sparkle in her eyes, and Sabé with an easy smile, and  _holy hells!_

He hauled Rabé into a bear hug, pressed his nose against her shoulder, and laughed. Fives cupped Rabé cheeks, ran his thumbs across her cheekbones, and kissed her, more a pressing of their smiling mouths together than an actual kiss, and Fives felt rapturous.

“I can’t believe it! I can’t believe it, I can’t believe it,” he grinned, and Rabé giggled again, and _this was the best feeling ever._  “Hey, don’t forget, I’m still taking you to dinner.”

Rabé raised an eyebrow, and suppressed a smile.

“To Dex’s, I suppose?”

Fives looked indignant.

“I thought you liked Dex’s! Besides, that’s the only thing I can afford,” he laughed, and Rabé poked him in his good side.

“But you still need more medical attention. I don’t want you to hurt yourself,” she argued, and Fives shrugged a shoulder.

“I’ll be fine. I’m a solider, I can take it.”

Rabé’s smile weakened.

“Not anymore, you’re not,” she said in a whispered, kissing him softly. “Not anymore.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> up next: a chancellor is elected, fives goes to mandalore with padme and the delegation, and the war ends


	3. chapter iii

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS IS THE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEND!!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> I CAN'T BELIEVE IT THIS IS THE FINAL CHAPTER!!!!!!!! who woulda thought that that one prompt would have turned into a fix-it for the entire sequel tril lmao but i am really happy it did because this - this fic is my baby. all of like six people read it, but y'all six people are the best and i love you all <33333 enjoy the third and final installment of _we're stars_

Rabé curled gently into Fives’ side from where he lay in the bed. After they left the Senate bulding, she, Fives, and the other handmaidens had gone back to her apartment, so he could get some sleep and the rest of them to get some food. He had passed out almost immediately upon arriving, shuffling into the bedroom, shucking the armor he’d had to wear, and crawling exhausted into the sheets.

It was late in the morning, but the curtains were pulled shut.

The clone shifted when she settled next to him, and cracked his eyes open, giving her a sleepy smile.

“Hey, sunspot,” he greeted, nuzzling his nose into her hair. Rabé hummed, and wriggled closer.

“Hey.”

“How long was I out?” His voice is muffled against the pillow and her hair.

“Almost six hours now,” she answered softly, running her fingers across the bandages on the other side of his chest. “How are you feeling?”

Fives shifted and suddenly stifled a groan, but not quite a curse, hissing a  _Karabast!_

“Like bantha shit,” he told her easily. He felt her roll her eyes, but there was still worry in the tightness of her mouth. “Rabé... look, I’ll be alright. ‘M already feeling better.”

 Rabé didn’t look impressed.

“You just said you feel like bantha shit,” she said dubiously.

Fives lifted a shoulder as best as he could.

“That’s better’n feeling like I got ran over by a couple droid tanks.”

She huffed, and stayed silent. Fives absent-mindedly ran his fingers across her shoulder, happy to be alive, and with Rabé. Quite the improvement, considering he was pretty sure he was going to die not more than twelve hours before. 

A shudder shaking Rabé’s shoulders jerked him out of his thoughts, and he frowned.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

She didn’t look at him or say anything for a moment, before tilting her head to face him, eyes full of tears, and said in a whisper,

“I thought you were going to die.”

Fives didn’t know what to tell her.  _No I wasn’t_  was a lie because he could’ve.  _But I didn’t_  wasn’t going to help.  _We’re okay_  was closer, but, well, despite not wanting to admit it, he wasn’t okay, and Rabé was obviously  _not_ okay.

“We’ll be okay,” he murmured, tucking her closer to him.

 

....

 

A tap on the door.

Sabé poked her head in. Fives and her sister were awake, and looking at her curiously.

“Padmé’s put together a comity to go to Mandalore to start the peace talks. There’s word the Separatists are already there. She’s leaving in three hours, I thought you might want to go,” she informed them, and the pair were already moving before she finished talking.  

Rabé helped Fives sit up, then starting braiding her hair, as Fives eased into his armor.

“Hand me that?” he asked, pointing across the bed to his gloves and gauntlets, and Rabé passed them wordlessly.

“Boots, please.”

Fives scooped up her boots, and tossed them lightly.

Three minutes later, and they were ready to go.

“Where’s the Senator leaving from?” Fives asked, as he made his way to the common room where Eirtaé was sitting. Any civilian wouldn’t think Fives was as injured as he was, if they didn’t know clones, or the clone in question.

Fives moved... carefully, maybe was the word for it. He didn’t move like he was in a hurry, but held himself stiffly, stiffer than even Rex. Sabé was impressed. Sure, he was probably -  _the word made left a bad taste in her mouth_  - programmed for that, but there was something to be said for experience. Fives was no shiny.

As it was, despite the hell Fives had gone through the past few days, what he had found out saved the Jedi, the clones, and the Republic. Who knows what would have happened if he hadn’t found out.

Sabé wasn’t quite sure she’d sleep easy, but she would sleep pretty well... whenever she got around to sleeping, that was. There was too much to do, tracking down and arresting corrupt senators. She wondered if the senators’ peoples knew what they were doing. 

A lot was changing.

The whole galaxy was changing, and the people were going to have to change with it.

“The Senate building,” Sabé answered, a little belatedly. “Last I heard, they were going to eat some lunch, then go.”

Fives nodded, pulled on his boots from where they sat by the door. He paused by the door and shot a look over his shoulder.

“Am I the only one coming, or what?” he asked, with a half-grin, and Sabé took that as a good sign. Fives would get better.

 

....

 

Fives was not -  _at all_  - used to, or very comfortable sitting in a kriffing senatorial yacht.  _Sitting_ , on one of the plushy, too soft couches that lined the walls, when he should have been on his guard. But the Senator had told him to sit down, in a  _you can’t argue with me, trust me, this voice gets things done_. So he sat down.

The senators in Amidala’s comity were gathered by a holo table in the middle of the open floor. He spotted Riyo Tuchi, from Pantora - from what he knew of her, she was a good choice, level-headed and pretty kriffing eloquent when she wanted, but passionate about her job which could come in handy, Mon Mothma, Chandrilla - she knew what she was about, ingrained in tradition, and not easy to rile up, and could make herself be heard, and Kavis Meerel, Lonera. Fives didn’t know to much about Meerel, but if the Senator was willing to bring him on to the Peace Comity, he was obvioiusly trust worthy. 

Rabé told him Organa would have come, except the senators elected him chancellor this morning and he was staying to try and keep everything under control.

General Kenobi was standing a few feet behind them, hand on his beard, and Cody and a few of his men were there for security. The Senator had tried to tell Fives it wasn’t necessary for him to come, but he didn’t agree.

If this whole war was ending because of him, he was going to see it through.

Rabé sat next to him, holding two glasses of water and held one out for him.

“Here,” she said softly. She was watching the group of senators out of the corner of her eyes. Fives took the glass wordlessly and drained it quickly.

“Thanks,” he murmured. “What’s going on?”

Rabé seemed to chew on the words, before saying,

“Padmé says the Separatists are already on Mandalore. Lux Bonteri, By Bluss, Amita Fonti, and Kerch Kushi. All of them voted for the original treaty proposal, the one Bonteri’s mother suggested.”

_Ah._

They sounded like good people.

Wait, okay, weird. He just referred to Separatists as good people, but he  _was_ kinda biased. Admitting - internally, at least - that they sounded like good people was a step in the right direction. If a clone trooper like himself could admit that, he had a good feeling about regular civilians.

“So that’s good then, yeah?” 

“Yeah. Very good.”

“Good.”

 

....

 

Fives. was going. to  _shoot_ himself.

Rabé, on the other hand, was leaning forward in rapt attention, soaking up the words of the senators. He didn’t think she would take her attention away if he was shooting firecrackers.

His side hurt.

He wanted to go to bed with Rabé, and sleep for days.

He had no idea what the senators were even talking about - he was a soldier, not a politician, stuff like this went over his head.

But he couldn’t, so he sulked silently.

He knew he should suck it up, and take it like a trooper, because he was. But he didn’t want to. Just once, he wanted to act, you know,  _his age_. 

Rabé was literally in love with a child. Did she know that? Probably, especially considering the way son-of-a-Hutt  _Cody_  acted. Literally, the Republic had an army of children that looked like men. It was  _almost_ kriffing hilarious, and the thought made Fives snort.

Well, that could get her attention.

“Are they almost done?” he asked, leaning over to whisper in her ear. “I wanna go to sleep.”

Rabé shot him a look that made him raise his eyebrows and pull away.

“You can just go, you know,” she pointed out, with a pointed look, but Fives pouted. Straight-up pouted at her. She gave him her best stern look. “Are you an ARC trooper or a child?” 

“A child,” he answered promptly, and Rabé rolled her eyes.

“I’m beginning to agree with you,” but she stood up anyways. “Let’s go, little child.”

 

....

 

All in all, Padmé was pleased with how well the meeting went over. (She wished Ahsoka could have been there. She was better than she knew at things like politics.) The Separatist senators wanted peace as much as she did, at it only further cemented her belief that all the war needed was democracy and a hand of friendship. Things would fall into place after that.

Satine held a banquet after the two groups came to an agreement, seated everyone at a large, circular table, so it felt less like two sides and more like friends eating together. Padmé was seated between Satine and Amita Fonti.

“I hear Bail Organa has been elected Chancellor,” Satine began, leaning towards her friend. “I think that is an excellent choice.”

“I agree. He still has to choose a Vice Chancellor. I’m not sure who he has in mind, but I think Senator Mothma would be a wise choice.”

Satine tilted her head and took a sip of her drink.

“You do not consider yourself for the position?” she asked in a neutral tone. Padmé was surprised.

“You think he should choose me?”

Satine smiled a smile that could only be described as sly.

“Your words, my dear, not mine.”

It would be lie, if Padmé said she hadn’t thought about it, even wanted it a little. But she wasn’t going to beg Bail. If he wanted her, he knew where to find her.

(It wouldn’t stop her from hoping he’d pick her)

 

....

 

**Six months later...**

 

 _“...and its just been announced that Vice Chancellor Amidala is pregnant - and married to Anakin Skywalker, can you believe that, Eliian? Not only is the galactic_ icon  _that is Padmé Amidala pregnant, she’s married! To a Jedi! And I think we all are curious to know when, exactly, the two Clone Wars heroes fell in love, can’t you imagine, a Senator and a Jedi, forbidden love in the middle of the war? Sounds like the plot of a romance holo, am I right? Kinda makes you think something like that could happen to anyon-”_

Fives switched the holo projector off with his foot, and shook his head.

“I am kriffing glad we aren’t famous enough to attract the attention of those moof-milkers,” he said with a disgusted shake of the head. Rabé giggled at his expression and tucked the blanket around them, propping her chin on his shoulder so she could look at him.

“Yeah, that’s probably a good thing since I’m pregnant, too,” she said softly, with a smile, and Fives nodded.

“Yeah, they’d be all over u-”

He froze.

“Wait, what?” He tilted his head so he could look at her. “Are you - serious?”

Rabé nodded, full on grinning now. Fives’ own face split into a huge grin and he hauled her into his lap, laughing.

“Rabé, I can’t believe it! I can’t believe it!” he kissed her then, fierce and happy, because what else could he do?

“This is amazing, you’re amazing, I love you,” he said rapidly, and tucked her close.  _I love you, I love you, I love you._

 

....

 

**~Ten years later...**

“Kida, get your stuff, come on! We’re gonna be late!” Fives yelled down the hall. Rohan knocked into his side to get his attention, and pointed wordlessly to his bag Fives was holding.

“Come on, kid, how do you ask?”

The seven-year-old wrapped his arms around his father’s legs in response, looking up at him with great big eyes. Fives grinned at him, ruffling his hair, and said,

“Close enough,” dropping the bag into his hands. Rohan immediately sat down to dig through it, pulling out a piece of paper to doodle on.

“Kida!” Rabé was knocking on their daughter’s door now. “Let’s go!”

The door slid open suddenly, and the sturdy almost-ten-year-old barreled out, nearly knocking Rabé over.

“I’m ready! Come on, Ro!”

Rohan immediately scrambled up with a grin to run after his sister, and Fives and Rabé laughed at the pair. Rabé sidled up next to the clone, and tucked herself against his side.

“Ten credits they start a war,” she said, grinning, and Fives laughed again.

“Twenty credits says the Terror Twins start it and they end it.”

Rabé burst out in giggles, burying her face in her hands.

“We’re terrible parents,” she grinned, and Fives nodded, leaning down to kiss her soundly.

“Terrible parents,” he agreed.

“Mommy! Dad! Let’s go!” Kida demanded from the door, hair already a mess. “Ro wants to see Luke!”

“We’re coming, commander. Get your brother,” Fives instructed, and Kida crossed her arms.

“Dad, Ro’s already in the speeder. Who’s taking too long now?” she yelled gleefully, sprinting away, and Fives face-palmed.

“Who let her around Skywalker?” he asked Rabé helplessly, but she only laughed.

“Come on, Captain, your kids are waiting.”

And too think almost eleven years ago, he was sure he was going to die. Now he had a wife, and two exceptional kids, and he was very much alive.

Apparently, the Force was handier than originally thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the picture ro is drawing i like to imagine is the one of him and ahsoka, and obviously she came back.... for reasons  
> the kiddos are going to hang out with the terror twins in case you're wondering  
> rohan and kida are my babies
> 
> I CAN"T BELIEVE ITS DONE <3333

**Author's Note:**

> so like.... now i wanna write more lmao


End file.
